A/HRC/41/33/Add.2 27. Throughout the visit, the Working Group heard from various interlocutors about the disabling impact of the funding cuts on the ground. In this context, the experts were particularly pleased to learn that local councils in several cities were stepping up their efforts to fill in some of the gaps caused by the cuts in State funding. The experts were also pleased to note the positive spirit of solidarity among women’s organizations in working together and supporting each other. The existence of funds established by a feminist group also plays an important role in filling the gap, while its informal flexible working methods make it accessible to grassroots women in small towns and rural areas. 28. The valuable knowledge and experiences of women’s rights organizations should not be dismissed. Not only should they receive the appropriate funding, their voices must be heard in the formulation of government policies and strategies. International and regional support should also prioritize women’s rights organizations in the current context of the shrinking space for civil society organizations. V. Economic and social life A. Women’s participation in the labour force and economic leadership 29. The Labour Code provides for protection against discrimination on the ground of gender, among others. Employees who have been discriminated against have the right to sue for compensation for material as well as non-material damage in the areas of establishing and terminating employment relationships, employment conditions, promotion at work and access to training for the purpose of raising professional qualifications. The 2010 Act on Equal Treatment widens this protection and covers any other form of employment, such as civil law contracts, self-employment and independent professions, and covers all grounds. 7 Further amendments to the Labour Code have been introduced regarding the protection of women’s health during pregnancy, the extension of maternity and paternity leaves and flexible working time arrangements. 30. Women have strong participation in the labour force in Poland. Throughout history, women have contributed significantly to the country’s economy and development while standing up for the rights and dignity of all workers. Stories of the 5,000 women workers of the Gdańsk Shipyard, which the experts visited during the mission, are a humbling example. Still, disparities in labour force participation between women and men persist. Women’s labour force participation currently stands at 48.4 per cent, as compared with 65.2 per cent for men. 8 It drops significantly for women with young children, older women, women with disabilities, Roma women and women in rural areas. For instance, 13.1 per cent of women with disabilities were active in the labour market according to the 2011 National Census. 9 A labour force survey conducted by the Government in the second quarter of 2018 shows that, although unemployment rates for women and men are identical (4.9 per cent), women’s employment rate at 46.1 per cent is significantly lower than the 62 per cent for men.10 Furthermore, there are twice as many women (10.8 per cent) in parttime jobs than men (4.7 per cent). Among those not working full-time, the majority who want to work full-time are women. For some groups of women, the employment rate is much lower, for example, 35.5 per cent in the case of older women 55 to 64 years of age, as compared with 54.2 per cent for men in the same age group. 11 7 8 9 10 11 European Commission, European Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and NonDiscrimination, Poland Country Report: Non-Discrimination, 2018. www.ilo.org/ilostat/. Study on Discrimination and Access to Employment for Female Workers with Disabilities, Case Study: POLAND, European Parliament, March 2017. www.ilo.org/ilostat/. European Commission, “European Semester Thematic Factsheet: Adequacy and Sustainability of Pensions”, November 2016. 7